Do poor economies grow faster than rich ones? This important economic question (which we call [beta]-convergence) is … of convergence in both countries: poor prefectures and states grow faster. We also find that there is intraregional as … well as interregional convergence. We analyze the cross sectional standard deviation across prefectures and states. We find …

convergence within and across countries. Regional growth is shaped by similar factors as national growth, such as geography and … human capital. Regional convergence is about 2.5% per year, not more than 1% per year faster than convergence between … countries. Regional convergence is faster in richer countries, and countries with better capital markets. A calibration of a …